Verace Pizzeria Napoletana and Enoteca

The menu was a little confusing because a lot of it was in Italian but the food was really good. Got two pizzas to go, one red and one white, and it’s definitely unlike any other pizza I’ve ever had. Soo good!
The only downside was that it was kinda pricey for the size, but worth it for the taste, and the pizza didn’t come pre-​cut so I had a heck of a time trying to slice them. I would definitely love to go back and try some of their other pizzas!

Woah, woah, woah!
What happened to Verace?! We sat down, ordered, and had no idea that there was new ownership until the wheels started coming off the pizza bus. I used to be a huge fan of Verace, but there are some major problems now.
Everything still says Verace except for the staff T-​shirts, so I had no idea what I was getting into.
The pizza is a soggy mess. Each of our pizzas was bland, wet and ugly. The Margherita pizza has two pieces of shriveled basil on one slice, and none on the rest of the pizza. The Bianca, almost no flavour. The antipasto plate, almost no cheese. We even had to get our own cutlery since the staff seemed too green to be servers.
This place is now advertised as a games room. They have a wall of board games for your enjoyment, but this doesn’t make a satisfying meal.
Worst of all. When I proudly showed my Unilocal Check-​In offer (Margherita pizza and beer for $ 15), I was informed that it would not be accepted. There are few things in Unilocaldom that bother me more than that.

Stumbled across this gem looking for a family friendly restaurant. What could be more family friendly that traditional wood fired thin crust pizza and an extensive selection of board games. And they even managed to please the teenager by essentially playing her music playlist (but not loud enough to upset the parents:). Had no complaints about the service. They brought our youngest out a second drink because they weren’t sure if they had messed up her drink order or not. Only reason it isn’t five star is because the pizza, while far more enticing than pretty much anything any of the chains offer, wasn’t particularly flavourful (though my wife’s was). Would be a great place to share with family and or friends.

Exactly what we were looking for!
It was a dark and stormy evening, we wanted what could be described as a haven, with some pizza and board games.
After walking through the dark streets of Chinatown, Verace is brightly lit, and perhaps if the windows weren’t so big (or had nice curtains), it might seem a bit more appealing, as there’s currently no mystery as to what it’ll be like inside. It may give some people a less-​than-​stellar first impression.
But then we looked at the menu, and were instantly intrigued — authentic Napoli pizza? With great looking ingredients? And a great looking wine list? Wow. And then the wall of 500 board games (!?!) — I didn’t count, but I could see easily 200 games, of all varieties.
Inside, there was a group of ladies enjoying great looking pizza (at 12″ each, they’re a little more than one person can eat, but less than would feed two) and Apples to Apples. There was an older couple enjoying wine, a decadent dessert, and discussing a strategies game. There was a group of three men drinking beer and playing a chess-​like game. This restaurant caters to a wide range of people!
We ordered two pizzas (Margherita (on special for $ 11) and TerraFirma ($ 14.50), a glass of Di Majo Norante Sangiovese (on special for $ 7.25 for 5oz) for myself and a Phillips Phoenix Gold Lager ($ 5 for 12oz) for my companion.
Right after ordering, we went to go look at the games, and the Games Steward came forward to offer suggestions and instructions. We picked Carcassonne, and he set out the game at our table and explained the rules and game play.
Our pizza then arrived! They were fantastic! Thin crust, but not crunchy/​dry, they were moist and the crust was the perfect chewy/​crispy edge. Flavors melded nicely. Toppings weren’t heaped on, just sprinkled appropriately. Wasn’t oily, so it was easy to continue playing Carcassonne after our initial hunger was abated.
The wine was also fantastic: a perfectly rich, smooth, berry/​current sangiovese! I didn’t ask for an opinion on the beer. We finished 1 ½ of the pizza, and saved the rest for later.
A relaxing and enjoyable experience, and one I’m sure we’ll return to. Solid $$ for good quality, simple food. Wonderful service, a pleasant atmosphere. Not a grand atmosphere or experience, but that’s not what we were looking for. A home away from home.

Recently my husband and I hit up Verace with a large group of people via a Board Game
group. With it’s close location to the sky train, it was super easy to get to and locate.
Upon arriving and getting a general look at the place, I wasn’t terribly sure how well it would work out for a gaming and eating session… The place itself just doesn’t seem to give off that *vibe*… but I was totally wrong!
Four hours and a few games/​pizzas later, we were quite satisfied. The board game collection was IMPRESSIVE. Not only was there a ton, but they ranged between many different genres and for the most part, they were practically brand new. The owner even came around several times during the night to ask us about the games and offer to teach us a few of them. It was a nice touch.
Food wise, the pizza was DELICIOUS. I wasn’t expecting such delightfully thin crust or the authentic touch from the wood fire oven. My husband and I ordered one that was sprinkled with large chunks of garlic (I can’t quite remember the name, sorry!) and it really hit the spot. Paired with drinks and good company, we left satisfied and happy.
Definitely check this place out!

WOWOWOWOW
Tasty food and great prices. Even the wine was priced really reasonably.
I when before going to Cirque, and the service was super speedy despite a full house.
We have a salad (plain garden salad). simple, good.
Buratta — DELICIOUS. I hear it comes straight from Italy. The price was a little steep for the portion size.
Pizza. We got two. marinara and the mushroom. When the first one came out it was not cut, which we thought was a little weird. We asked, and they said thats how it is, but they can cut it if we like. We attempted to cut it and it was a nightmare. Super thin dough, cut on a ceramic plate, not easy. We asked them to cut the second pizza for us. Both tasted amazing!

Some friends and I decided to attempt a pizza tour of the city… we originally went to Nicli and since the wait was 45 mins we wandered down to Verace.
Best thing that could have ever happened.
The place was bustling but we were seated right away… the restaurant is so warm and oozes Italian comfort… from the friendly Italian staff to the décor… the pizza is delicious (we had the Marghereta and Funghi) and has the thinnest crust you can imagine.
They also give you three types of olive oil at your table… the garlic olive oil is delicious! Askfor a side of balsamic vinegar and you can add a little flare to the oil for your crusts. :)
A great wine selection (all Italian of course), at very reasonable prices, even for bottles. Plus, the also allow you to bring your own wine for a small $ 10 corkage fee. HOT TIP: on Wednesdays, there is no corkage fee!!!
I can’t wait to go back… next time, on a Wednesday for sure! And this time I will save room for dessert.

Went here for an early dinner with the wife. Nice interior, open kitchen, and little tidbits about the origins of pizza on the menu flaps.
We had the margharita pizza, and a pasta that had potato and pancetta (forgot the name).
The pizzas were good! Service was also very good and attentive (although the restaurant was sparsely populated at the time).
The 3 varieties of olive oils was a nice touch to give everything a bit of a different accent. Will come back to try some of the other pizzas.

Came by to try out their Neopolitan pizza. There are several restaurants in Vancouver that make this style.
Parking is available underneath. If you buy $ 10 worth of stuff at T&T Supermarket, you get your dollar back. Yay!
The inside is somewhat classy, but we chose to sit in the patio outside. It’s actually quite nice here as there is some shade from the building.
Service was very decent, with the staff checking on us regularly.
The funghi (Italian for «mushroom») pizza I had was actually quite good. Nice large basil leaves and very generous mushrooms. The crust was a bit soggy though, which tells me their oven was unfortunately not hot enough.
As a topping, they give you 3 bottles of oil: thyme, garlic, and chili. All of them are really good, but the garlic one is like crack. I could drink this stuff. Special mention. Just a tip though, the tops are a bit loose, so make sure you don’t accidentally empty the bottle and drench your dinner.
Definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area.

It’s been 24 hours since I’ve been here and I am already plotting away at my next visit. A bunch of us Unilocalers came here for a late night bite after the Unilocal Cocktail Event.
Please order the Salerno. It’s like a really awesome pizza party that goes on in your mouth. Topped with fig jelly, mission figs, prosciutto and goat cheese finished with grana padano and evoo. Now this is really something, a sweet and savoury balance that’s way too good. The crust is just the right chewiness and thickness.
We also got the Prosciutto e Rucola, with plum tomato sauce, fior di latte mozzarella topped with prosciutto, fresh arugula, grana padano and evoo. The difference in using the Italian tomatoes really makes a difference as the pizza is less acidic, and the flavours of the fior di latte really stands out.
Delicious food and great service. I’ll definetely be back.

I hate pizza. It’s gross and for children.
I realize no one agrees with me but let me plead my case:
Pizza is the chef’s equivalent of guilding a lily. It is made of fresh ingredients that beneficent and bountiful Mother Earth has bestowed upon us. Things like olives, anchovies, mushrooms, peppers and tomatoes. Pizza also features some of mankind’s greatest culinary triumphs. The culmination of thousands of years of experimentation and creativity. Dishes such as cured meats, cheeses, breads, even oil extracted from olives. But then these incredible ingredients are all shoved into a 400º oven until they are mercilessly shriveled beyond recognition.
That’s really a disrespectful thing to do when you think about it.
I was dragged kicking and screaming by Ramon, Eva, Dani and Kari to this place after the Tales of The Cocktail event. Drunk on Negronis and unable to put up a decent fight I relented.
After another Negroni or two from Verace’s menu I begrudgingly sampled several types of pizza. I’m not ready to admit that I’m wrong about pizza. I maintain that it is the only thing the Italians got wrong. Except for that Columbus thing in 1492 but that was partly Spain’s fault.
But IF I were to concede that pizza was adult food and not just for little kids birthday parties I would eat it here. And IF I were to be convinced that pizza made any culinary sense whatsoever I would order it from Verace. And IF I were the type of guy to admit he’s wrong I would swallow my pride and eat delicious pizza here.
But I’m none of those things. So you go ahead and eat your disgusting stupid pizza from Verace. You’ll probably enjoy it. Since no one agrees with me anyhow.
If you see me there don’t say hello. I’m not enjoying a delicious pizza. That’s kid stuff.

My significant other bought a coupon from Vaneats and here is what we had.
Salati Assortiti: daily selection of cured meats and cheese, vegetables, and marinated olives. Accompanied by warm rosemary pizza bread.
The rosemary pizza bread was excellent. The drizzled olive oil and balsamic reduction was beautifully executed. The reduction was rich, thick, and full of flavor. The meats, cheese, and vegetables were alright.
Burrata: burrata cheese finished with balsamic reduction and lemon oil and served with warm rosemary pizza bread.
Obviously I am getting the warm rosemary pizza bread and the Burrata mixed up. Regardless, they were both warm and good.
8-​inch Brick Oven Baked Pizza: 100% handmade with naturally leavened dough with half Prosciutto e Rucola (plum tomato sauce, fior di latte mozzarella topped with prosciutto, fresh arugula, grana padano and evoo) and half Funghi (mushroom cream, cipollini balsamic onions, mixed crimini, portabella, and oyster mushrooms. Topped with fresh oregano, grana padano and evoo).
I enjoyed the mushroom a lot more than the Prosciutto. The pizza was fresh and very tasty. The portion was incredibly huge.
Lemoncello Layer Cake: limoncello infused lady fingers layered with lemon curd and mascarpone cream.
Sum of all parts is greater than individual parts. This dessert is a great example of that. I tried separating and ate the layers by themselves — bad idea. I should have just put the whole thing in the mouth and let the magic begin. The combination of raspberry, lemon curd and mascarpone cream is a true delight. I learned the pastry chef worked at Thomas Haas. This young fellow is now working here so there is more room for his creativity. He does the prepping for the restaurant too. Bravo young fellow. I can’t wait to see what other tricks you have up your sleeves.
The décor is chic and elegant. The washrooms are spacious, clean, and full of personality. The venue is not overly big but I can see this as being a great place for hosting private parties.
Food here is solid.

I came here with a Vaneats voucher, that said, I had a wonderful time in here. Located a throw away from the Stadium Skytrain station, and tucked in a roundabout with the likes of T&T, I have always meant to try this place, and going with the deal I picked up with my partner in hand, away we went to see what this was all about.
The first thing noticed is the décor, very trendy, a nice finish of light and dark colors, that make you just want to sit in here and admire the décor. There was one picture, while going down the hallway in the back end to the washroom that caught my eye, a framed picture made out of candy wrappers, a nice touch if you really look at this thing. We were sat at a booth, and noticed that the staff were very atttentive, even with the voucher, they said to have this first, and if there was anything else (or if we were hungry still, to order more).
At the start, the waiter asked if I would like regular water, or sparkling, as he was carrying both bottles, I chose the regular, and awaited for the food to come flying out the kitchen.
There were two plates that almost came at the same time, one was a platter of assorted meats, cheese, and vegetables. The other plate being the Burrata Cheese, with balsamic reduction, on pizza dough flatbread. The balsamic reduction was definitely a start to the highlight of our tastebuds, how well it went, just a slight drip that was spread along the soft flatbread brought out such flavor!
The pizza came next, split in half, with two different sides of flavor and flare. One side had prusciutto, and the other side was topped with arugula (it looked like a salad pizza!) mushroom cream, and onions. To enhance the experience, we added the chili olive oil, and chili flakes to our pizza before biting in. It was piping hot, with the steam rising, and fresh, the way pizza should be enjoyed. They did forget to cut the pizza, so we had to work our magic to slice this thing up, ugly I might add, with uneven pieces, and some overhanging ingredients.
The last dish was probably the star of the show, a ‘Lemoncello Layer Cake’, where when it was brought out, it was tilting, to the point it fell on it’s side, but even that, didn’t make this thing fall on it’s face, but just rise to the occasion of desserts. Interesting how lady fingers, and the lemon curd and mascarpone crème, with the fresh rasperies, on their own, tasted how they should taste, but combined, were a perfect blend of taste bud excitement. A few bites in, and I saw my partner, as her eyes just looked at the remains of what was left of this devoured dessert, and how to acquire the rest of the serving for herself, and not to share with me. We spoke with the manager on the floor about the dessert, and she said that the pastry chef in the back was a student of Thomas Haas, well that says alot now! And he is able to craft and design his desserts here, interesting.
A very comfortable place, a good place to bring a group of people, as we were leaving they were serving a party. They have a good serving of liquor here, and a good variety on the menu, of pizzas and pastas. I do hope to come back to try their other items on the menu.

* Decent, but better options out there *
For a city that had almost no decent pizza just a few years ago there has been a sudden jump in the number of places trying to do good pizza.
Verace comes in right about average among that new pack of places. I ordered the Divola, which they describe has having fresh tomatoes, spicy genoa salami, capicollo, roasted red onion and peppers, topped with grana padano, fresh basil and evoo. The capicollo was very good — it had the proper aged flavour and was definitely the highlight of the toppings by far. The spicy genoa salami was a disappointment — it had almost no flavour, no spice, and was rather uninspired. The tomatoes had a nice strong flavour. There were very few onions and peppers so they didn’t contribute much flavour wise. The crust itself had a good chew, but had already cooled substantially by the time it made it to the table unfortunately. Photo:
It came with two bottles of oil — one chili oil and one garlic oil. The chili oil had almost no flavour to it. I don’t think the chili had been sitting in it long enough. The garlic oil was very good. Photo:
The pizza came with a complimentary side caesar salad, which had crisp leaves but was slightly overdressed. Photo:
Overall not a bad performance, but with the number of good options available around town I won’t be rushing back.

Wood fired pizzas are wicked. The recent explosion of such pizzerias in Vancouver is a much welcomed trend to me. The simplicity and freshness of toppings on the crunchy/​chewy crust is golden.
Being a regular at T&T, I’ve seen this place many times. We checked it out for Sunday lunch.
Ok, so our waiter wasn’t exactly the most enthusiastic guy around, but he did the job. They offer complimentary sparkling water for all those perrier lovers.
We both ordered lunch specials. I had the Salerno pizza (fig jelly, prosciutto & goat cheese) with caesar salad. The caesar had a twist to it, pretty sure it was the quality of the cheese, delicious. The combination of sweet and salty of the pizza toppings coupled with the chewiness of the crisp dough was a joy. For added depth, definitely try out one of their three olive oils (garlic, pepper, and I forget). The pepper oil was my favourite (almost sweet tasting).
Ended with an order of Tiramisu and cappuccino. Simple and light, it’s a perfect match.
What this place needs is a loud (but charismatic) Italian guy to stand outside and sell this place. Perhaps hand out some samples. And then this place will be rocking.

Verace is a nice place for supper when you’ve got an evening out at Rogers Arena or International Village Cinemas, but it doesn’t compare well to other Neapolitan-​style pizza places downtown.
Having been to Campagnolo, Nicli, and Pizzeria Farina, I would rate Verace at the bottom of the heap. Their prices are equivalent to the others, but the the food quality and ambiance is lacking.
Also (and Campagnolo and Nicli could improve on this too), would it kill them to pre-​cut their pizza? I swear we did damage to their plates and knives trying to cut up our pizzas to share!
In the end, this is a fine place for supper, but if you’re after really amazing pizza napoletana, check out Pizzeria Farina on Main instead!

As it was our first time here we walked in not knowing what to expect, but were both pleasantly surprised. We put our ordered in for a margarita and grilled vegetable pizza and I swear our meal was on the table in under five minutes. The pizza served here is different from most of the pizza I have eaten in Vancouver. The crust was crisp yet chewy, had a really nice flavour and was really thin. The tomato sauce was sweet, but fresh. I was impressed with the selection of toppings which range in price according to the cost of ingredients which seems pretty fair. Our pizza also came with three flavoured olive oils (garlic, chilli and herb) which were a great accompaniment.
My first few slices were great, but given some time the sauce began to soak through the crust in the middle and it began to get a bit limp. All the more reason to fold it in half and take a big bite. However, logic does tell me that this is an inevitable feature of the super thin crust pizza. Therefore, if you don’t like limp pizza I think it would be best to share with a friend and since the orders come out so quickly get another one when you are finished with the first. We also partook in the $ 4.75 per glass house wine selection which wasn’t half bad.
When I brought my half a pizza home I noticed it had directions for reheating on the corner of the box. What a nice touch.

I’m speaking of the salad here but to be honest it may have been one of the better salad’s I’ve ever had. Simple and true. Basic but classic olive oil and ‘white’ basil vingegrette dressing :) Very nice, thank you…
I also had a soup which was hearty, spicy and full of flavor. Seems as if the harp on this place is due to pricing of which I can’t speak since I had the salad/​soup combo but come on folks this is good, clean food…
I’ll shall return…

So my lovely dinner companion and I arrived at this corner of the plaza beside Stadium Station to taste the true Napoletana pizza. We had the DOP Margherita and the roasted fig salad. Both were excellent.
The pizza crust was thin yet had an elastic dough-​y pull to it. The fresh ingredients really made the difference. The complimentary sparkling water really brought home the authentic Italian atmosphere and flavor for me.
The green salad and roast figs were also delicious. I like the frizzette lettuce and the ricotta had a very distinct, blue-​cheese-​like fragrance to it.
The nutella pizza really took the cake for me. Crunchy, crispy, sweet, flavorful. It just hit all the right spots for a dessert pizza. Highly recommended.

If I could give 6 stars I would, this place is truly a much needed and fabulous addition to Vancouver!
For the past few years I have been wondering why Vancouver has been so behind the times when it came to pizza — of course you can get your regular run-​of-​the-​mill delivery pizza, or even a fairly decent gourmet pizza at a restaurant that specializes in other dishes, but there really was not much in the way of competitive pizzeria joints trying to outdo one another with innovation, creativity, mixed with a little of the traditional, and using fresh local ingredients — I guess that’s the category I would place Verace under (if you hadn’t already guessed that’s where I was leading).
Being familiar with the traditional Neapolitan pizza I knew what I was in store for, though I did appreciate the clarification by our server when she first came to our table just to be on the safe side, as it saddens me to read other reviews of this restaurant that bash the pizzas for their minimal toppings and thin-​crust style — that’s what it’s all about! Onto the specifics…
So the big decision — yes, I opted to pay the extra few dollars and try the Verace Margherita D.O.P. to see what all the talk was about and I have to say yes, it was more than worth it. You can really tell the difference in the taste of the tomato sauce, and the bite of the ‘special’ ingredients overall is really noticeable. The other pizza I tried was the Campania, which was a great combination of fresh veggies and other ingredients. Needless to say I can’t wait to go back and try some of the other pizzas!
For dessert we had the Lemoncello Layer Cake (Limoncello infused lady fingers layered with lemon cream) — a perfect and refreshing substitute to regular Tiramisu. We were originally intending to try the Tiramisu, however our waitress told us that the consistency just wasn’t perfect that night so she would recommend something else. Huge props to her on her honesty on this one, and on a similar note, overall she was an excellent server!
As far as drinks go — the wine selection was fabulous, however I started the night with the much intriguing Caprese Martini — salad in a drink you ask? why yes, yes it is. I asked if it was any good, and apparently no one had ordered one since they opened, so they took a few minutes behind the bar figuring out how to make one, and the result was quite delicious, plus you get a little salad on the skewer to eat while you’re waiting for your pizza, which is not long at all!
Personally I can’t wait to go back to try more of their pizzas — as other reviews have stated they don’t do take-​out, but seeing as how nicely they have styled the joint I would much rather enjoy my pizza there. They do of course have take home boxes if you can’t finish the delicious dinner, just be sure to follow their reheat/​re-​eating instructions (eat it cold or do a quick broil in the oven, anything else will ruin the delicate dough).